One of the most joyful occasions you can anticipate is the birth of your child. After months of monitoring your pregnancy, you’ll be able to hold your child and welcome them to your family.
Unfortunately, approximately 28,000 infants born each year in the United States are affected by birth injuries. Birth injuries may have a short-term impact or permanently affect your child. This article looks at your options when you’re dealing with a birth injury.
Learn about birth injuries.
Learning your child has sustained a birth injury can be traumatizing. It’s natural for emotions to run high at a time like that. When you’re able, start learning about birth injuries to ensure you understand your infant’s medical situation. There are multiple types of birth injuries, including bruising, nerve damage, facial paralysis, fractures, brain damage, Cerebral Palsy, Erb’s Palsy, and jaundice. Without prompt treatment, jaundice can cause brain damage. There’s no cure for Cerebral Palsy; however, if your child is diagnosed with Erb’s Palsy, they may make a full recovery. Once you understand the diagnosis, you’ll be able to determine if your newborn’s injuries will permanently affect them and what kind of medical expenses you’ll incur stemming from their birth injury.
Seek support.
You may have experienced a difficult delivery followed by the news your newborn’s sustained a birth injury. During this time, you may require medical care and should ensure you receive the care you need to ensure your physical health after giving birth.
Consider your mental health needs. Scheduling teletherapy sessions with an experienced therapist or counselor can help you cope with the trauma of a difficult birth or having a child with a birth injury. Thanks to teletherapy, it’s possible to access your therapist from any location with a computer and Internet access. Mental health experts offering personalized therapy customize their therapeutic approach to meet the patient’s needs, ensuring you receive the type of therapy you need. During your therapy sessions, you may learn you have post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) stemming from the birth injury. You could also be struggling with anxiety or depression. During your therapy sessions, you may develop coping strategies to manage your symptoms and learn how to protect your mental health.
Hire an attorney.
Whether your newborn’s birth injury involves a permanent condition that will affect them for the rest of their life or a short-term medical condition they can overcome, you may be entitled to financial compensation. Many birth injuries stem from medical malpractice, meaning the medical professionals made errors during the delivery process that caused the birth injury or failed to provide the expected level of care required to prevent the injury or promptly treat the birth injury. Look for an experienced birth injury lawyer in Chicago and schedule a free consultation. Birth injury attorneys are professionals specializing in birth injury and medical malpractice lawsuits. Hiring a birth injury lawyer ensures they’re familiar with applicable case law they can use to support your birth injury case. Suppose you opt to hire a birth injury attorney. In that case, they can pursue your case with the medical professionals, hospitals, and insurance companies involved to ensure you receive fair compensation for your medical bills and other expenses.
Take steps to protect your child.
Filing a lawsuit is one way to protect your newborn following a birth injury. Your legal action can ensure you receive the financial compensation required to pay for therapy and other treatments that can improve your infant’s condition. Your family may also need long-term counseling, which should be covered in the compensation you receive. You may also need to invest in lifestyle changes. For example, if your newborn suffered a spinal cord injury (SCI) causing paralysis, they may need to use a wheelchair.
Consequently, you need to relocate to a new home that’s wheelchair accessible and purchase a wheelchair-accessible vehicle. All these expenses should be factored into any financial compensation offer you accept. It’s crucial you understand the potential long-term costs because a child with birth injuries could require personal care for the rest of their life, costing millions of dollars over their lifetime.
Navigating a birth injury involves looking after your physical and mental health needs, as well as the needs of your newborn. Learn about the birth injury to ensure you understand what to expect and advocate for your infant to receive the medical treatment they need. Hire a birth injury attorney. Your lawyer will take legal action against the parties responsible for the birth injury and fight for fair compensation. You may also need to invest in therapy for you and your child, relocate, or invest in other resources based on your infant’s long-term needs.
